The Athletic's flagship football podcast is with you six days a week, bringing unrivalled analysis from the biggest stories in world football. New host Emma Paton is joined by the likes of David Ornstein, Adam Crafton, Matt Slater and James Horncastle. The show takes you inside the biggest stories in football told by the best reporters in the business. We cut through the noise to tell you what’s really happening - and why it matters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
What If... We erased the Messi-Ronaldo era?
With the Ballon d'Or fast approaching, this week’s episode of ‘What If’, Emma is joined in the studio by The Athletic’s Tim Spiers, Dan Kilpatrick and Jack Pitt-Brooke to
Oct 24 46 min
Chelsea vs Spurs + how are Brighton this good?
It’s a jam packed show this week as Kate Mason is joined in the studio by tacticos Liam Tharme and Rob Green to discuss all the weekend’s goings on, including a fierce Lo
Oct 23 42 min
Man United, INEOS and a failing sports empire
Manchester United’s ownership is in the firing line again, with players accusing leadership of negligence and just two wins so far all season.
So with United in their la
Oct 22 43 min
PSG’s three-peat war path + Ten Hag fallout
Tuesday saw PSG and Barcelona lock horns at the Parc des Princes as Luis Enrique’s side came out victors despite injuries to key players Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvara
Oct 21 40 min
Who is the best team in Europe right now?
It's a bumper week in the Champions League with arguably the best four teams in Europe — PSG, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Arsenal — all facing each other. But who is act
Oct 20 52 min
Is it time to take Brighton seriously?
Brighton thumped nearest rivals Crystal Palace on Sunday, taking their tally to an astonishing 34 goals in all competitions already this season.
So what is taking them t
Oct 19 40 min
What If… Spurs weren't ‘Spursy’?
On today’s episode of ‘What If’, Emma is joined by long-suffering Spurs fans Dan Kilpatrick and Kate Mason, alongside Tim Spiers to deduce, what if... Spurs weren’t ‘Spur
Oct 18 51 min
Jack Wilshere meets David Ornstein
What's the biggest fight Jack Wilshere has seen in football? And Does he regret not being able to fulfil his full potential? Welcome to Truth or Padel Extra, the show whe
Oct 17 18 min
Spurs vs Coventry preview + how to beat a 10-man team
We’ve got a big weekend of Premier League action ahead of us, so we’re back in the studio for another episode of The Tactical Preview.
This week we’re honing in on Spurs
Oct 16 34 min
Why are Man City and PSG's financial scandals different?
Manchester City and PSG put on a show in the Champions League last night, but their situations off the pitch are very different.
City are now public enemy number one aft
Oct 15 39 min
Are Man United already in crisis again?
Manchester United continued their poor run of form with a 2-0 loss to Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, but it was Lisandro Martinez’s explosive post matc
Oct 14 40 min
Palmer's new Chelsea deal + are Everton for sale again?
Cole Palmer signed a contract extension with Chelsea over the weekend to signify his commitment to the club. So are the Blues entering a long overdue era of stability und
Oct 13 53 min
The Premier League has a serious Man City problem
Manchester City's 3-0 win at Liverpool on Sunday felt surreal, with the football itself almost a footnote to the wider picture surrounding City since they were found guil
Oct 12 41 min
Thiago Alcantara meets David Ornstein
In the latest episode of David Ornstein's 'Truth or Padel' series, David meets former Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara.
Thiago discusse
Oct 10 17 min
Liverpool vs Man City preview + a guide to 'rest defence'
This week's Tactical Preview focuses on one of the biggest games in Premier League history: Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
The matchup has been given
Oct 9 42 min
What are Klopp and FSG's Liverpool legacies now?
Liverpool went toe to toe with Manchester City during a period when City have now been found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules. So does this change
Oct 8 46 min
What If... Man City hadn't 'systematically broken' the rules?
This week's What If is centred on the biggest story in town: Manchester City's guilty ruling.
Emma Paton is alongside The Athletic's Tim Spiers, Jack Pitt-Brooke and Dan
Oct 8 45 min
How are Man City fans supposed to feel?
Manchester City supporters are facing a new reality - their club has been vilified since The Athletic revealed they had been found guilty of almost all the Premier League
Oct 7 42 min
The best up and coming managers, with Ornstein & Horncastle
Who are the best up and coming managers and head coaches across Europe right now?
In this episode, Emma Paton, David Ornstein and James Horncastle detail who they think
Oct 6 56 min
Why do Man City think they can win their appeal?
Manchester City have lodged their appeal against the Premier League's independent commission after being found guilty of almost all the charges made against them.
On tod
Oct 5 42 min
Chart trend
Position in the Sports chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#97#192JulAugSepOct
#3
all-time peak
1
day in the top 3 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where The Athletic FC Podcast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 25, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
Ayo is hands down the best facilitator on any soccer pod I’ve listened to. The guests are thoughtful and interesting, and I’m always learning more about the wide world of football through this show. Cheers!
Stslat · Oct 2024
I refrain from giving this show a five-star rating only because of the weekend preview which is unlistenable. Awful. I haven’t finished a single episode. I loved the odds on last season show (even though I’m not a betting man) and especially the weekend quizzes which I always paused the pod to try and answer. I literally looked forward to Fridays. Bring Dan Bardell and the crew back, please.
Ayo’s hosting has been consistently excellent. He brings in the right guests and maintains a positive atmosphere, although at times he could delve deeper into challenging questions.
While most journalists associated with the show are impartial, there are a couple of exceptions. George Caulkin’s comparison of Newcastle’s history to Manchester United’s and Simon Hughes’ assertion that Liverpool winning the Premier League would rank among the greatest achievements ever has to be one of the worst takes for me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions though.
Obedfan · Feb 2024
Way better than the garbage you get on TV. It is full of informed and unbiased information and it is my go to football podcast that isn’t specific to my team.
@dannnicus · Jan 2024
I listen to this podcast each episode, but without Mark Chapman as host I’ve noticed the conversation becomes more “banter” and less journalistic and insightful. I can understand if I’m in the minority - my favorite era of this podcast was when Mark and Matt Slater hosted the business of sport every Thursday on this channel (intro music included) - but think the feed could use some more long form or in depth coverage in that vein (which may just mean we need more Adam Crafton)
week 1 stunts · Aug 2023
This Athletic show underperforms compared to its other club specific offerings. Ayo is a solid host but they have too many guest hosts that are a big drop off. Dan in particular is just unpleasant. Constant snide remarks and has nothing nice to say about any club. He strikes me as the kind of English fan that actually takes more joy in other clubs losing than his club winning. If that’s your thing ok but it’s not for me. The show is obsessed with City acting like they are entitled to win the league and constantly run down other clubs like their wins are lucky. Honestly the show is just boring unless you’re a casual bandwagon fan who cheers for whomever is winning the league. There is very little insight or counter narrative provided in this show. Better options out there that are balanced and more interesting.
DomiciledinChicago · Dec 2024
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of The Athletic FC Podcast, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
